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Shark (character)
Shark is a supervillain, and an enemy of the Super Friends. A fearsome predator and frequent enemy of Green Lantern, the creature known simply as the 'Shark' was originally believed to have been created by chance, but recent revelations call that into question. __TOC__ Background Information There have been three versions of the Shark in DC Comics. Out of the three versions, the Earth-1A version mostly resembles the 3rd version. Shark (World War II Frogman): Shark (Gunther Hardwicke): Shark (Karshon): In the parallel universe of Earth-One, the 'Shark' was easily the most bizarre and dangerous of all Green Lantern's foes. He was originally a 'tiger-shark', until he was accidentally struck by a freak bolt of Atomic Radiation which hurled him through millions of years of evolution in a matter of moments. The Shark now possessed incredible mental powers, including matter manipulation and powerful energy bolts. With his mind reading ability he absorbed vast knowledge from the people around him. He found he could project fear in anyone he chose. The Shark was still motivated by one driving force, to seek prey. He used his powers to make himself appear more human, and adopted the name "T.S. Smith" to stand for "Tiger Shark." This mutation made him the ultimate 'man of the future.'As revealed in Green Lantern, #24 (October 1963). And retold in Green Lantern, #175 (April 1984). The 'Shark' returned on two occasions to fight the Justice League and even attempted to take control of Atlantis' throne from Aquaman. On one occasion he appeared as an Atlantean called 'Karshon', where he used his mental powers to briefly depose the undersea hero. Early on he also battled the Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman frequently.As revealed in Action Comics, #456 (February 1976); Adventure Comics, #443-444 (Jan./Feb. - March/April 1976), #446-#448 (July/August - Nov./Dec. 1976), #459 (Sept./Oct. 1978); Justice League of America, #40 (Nov. 1965), #162 (Jan. 1979). (According to Earth-1A history), back in late 77' he was leading up a group of pirates who were using an ''immobilizer ray gun'' to halt ships in the middles of the ocean, so he and his gang could steal valuables. His endeavor, was to fund a fleet of attack ships to protect the seas from oil refinery, weapons testing, and overfishing. The 'Shark' and his pirates are stopped by Batman, Robin and Aquaman.As seen in the Season 2 episode: The Protector (December 10, 1977). On one occasion, under the direction of the Weaponers of Qward, he hunted him down. This was not a difficult task, as it was no secret that the 'Shark' had a terrible hatred of the Green Lantern. They wanted the hero dead and believed the aquatic-villain succeeded. The 'Shark' however, had only been trapped in a gold coffin in the ocean's depths. Seeking his reward, the Shark entered the antimatter universe of Qward. After the apparent defeat of the Green Lantern, the Weaponers did not want anything to do with the Shark, so in an endeavor to get rid of 'loose-ends', booby-trapped the Shark's weaponry to revert him back to his tiger-shark form. The Shark was fortunate that Green Lantern had escaped the death trap. The ring-wielder rescued the tiger-shark and brought him back to the ocean.As revealed in Green Lantern, #126 (March 1980). A few years later, the illegal dumping of toxic waste by S.T.A.R. Labs employees, amazingly caused the Shark to evolve from tiger-shark back into a "half breed" mutation of his advanced form.As revealed in Green Lantern, #174 (March 1984). In his mutated-form, he attacked S.T.A.R. Labs, holding them responsible for his "half-breed" form. Green Lantern arrived to fight his aquatic enemy but a windblown newspaper blocked the Green Lantern's vision for crucial seconds, giving the Shark the chance to feed on his mind.As revealed in Green Lantern, #175 (April 1984). The Shark, endeaoring to expose himself to the same toxic waste and further his evolution, attacked a S.T.A.R. Labs vessel that dumped the radioactive waste. The chemicals ignited, threatening the tanker. Green Lantern sought to rescue the ship's crew and the Shark from the imminent explosion, but his enemy refused the offer. The Shark was caught in the terrible blast. Green Lantern searched, but could find no trace of the Shark. The creature had apparently been blasted to atoms.As revealed in Green Lantern, #176 - #177 (May - June 1984). Powers and Abilities Powers * Unique Physiology: The Shark was an ordinary shark which was caught in an explosion which transformed his physiology into that of a more humanoid appearance. Along with his new appearance he gained strange new powers and enhanced his regular bestial abilities. ** Amphibian: The Shark can survive both in and out of water. He doesn't weaken after long periods of time out of the water and gains no added advantages while within water. ** Fear Projection: The Shark can sense and project people's fears around him. His fearful projections are only mental however a strong enough push by the Shark can allow him to create shields or mental blasts. ** Superhuman Strength: The Shark has powerful muscles which only grow strong if he grows in size. ** Superhuman Speed: The Shark has strong muscles in his body which allow him to push through the water or air at incredible speeds. ** Superhuman Durability: The Shark has durable skin which has a rough texture. This allows him to withstand powerful blasts of energy and most physical damage. ** Fangs: The Shark's favorite weapon is, of course, his large teeth which he uses to chomp down on his prey. ** Flight: Through unknown means the Shark can fly just as well as he can swim. ** Size Alteration: With enough fear and willpower, The Shark can increase his size to incredible amounts. Large enough to dwarf a small island, his strength and abilities seemingly increase along with his size. Abilities * Swimming Appearance Earth-One Appearance: * JLA 80-Page Giant, #2/2 (November 1999) -- post-crisis retconned appearance Earth-1A Appeareance: * ''Super Friends, #8'' (November 1, 1977) -- indirectly referenced ** In this SuperFriends issue, we are told that the Red Tornado's appearance follows the events in [[Justice League of America, 146| Justice League of America, #146]] (September, 1977). In the JLA #146 we are introduced to the 'Injustice Gang.' * Superfriends TV Show: Season 2, The All-New Super Friends Hour ** Episode: The Protector (December 10, 1977) Notes * The 'third' Shark first appeared in Green Lantern, #24 (October, 1963). * He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane. * In original portrayal the comics, Shark is presented as an enemy of Green Lantern. In the SuperFriends TV Show episode, The Protector in which the Shark appeared, the Green Lantern did not. *The Shark is also seen to be an occasional adversary of Aquaman in the comics, who has a big role in the episode of the Shark's appearance. External Links *Shark at the [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/ DC Database] *Shark at Wikipedia References Category:Aquaman enemies Category:Characters Category:Villains Category:Green Lantern enemies Category:DC characters Category:Animals